


Haunting

by Fire_Bear



Series: Tumblr Requests [18]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Character Undeath?, Character death??, First Meetings, Ghosts, Haunting, Helping out, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 13:47:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9126418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Bear/pseuds/Fire_Bear
Summary: Matthew has been dead for a long time and hasn't had anyone to talk to for quite some time. When he gets bored, he haunts - and that can be quite surprising...





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zeplerfer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeplerfer/gifts).



> For the prompt: “Boo.”

Matthew couldn't remember how long he'd been in the house. If he remembered rightly, there had been four generations of his family raised there, a few people renting it after they'd moved away and, finally, it exchanged hands numerous times after his family had managed to sell it.

There had been a Frenchman with a love of the ladies – and men. Matthew had had to hold his hands over his ears in an effort to shut him out. The Russian had turned the place into some sort of Mafia den which Matthew had been furious about and had sent things flying until, after a flying knife had almost killed his sister (a mistake on Matthew's part), he had moved out. A Chinaman had attempted to turn it into an opium den but Matthew had made sure things blew up until he scarpered. The house became a hospital at some point – or was it a military outpost? People came and went and Matthew helped where he could, making sure that the doctors and generals had what they needed at any given time. It lay empty for a while and Matthew appreciated the quiet till a Spaniard and Italian moved in and the noise levels increased again. Once more, he was forced to keep his hands over his ears though he didn't mind as much as when the Frenchman was playing around. Then there had been an Englishman who couldn't cook – Matthew took pity on him and made sure to turn off the appliances at the right times so he actually got something edible.

And, all throughout, he had no idea why he was still floating around. Was there something he was meant to be doing? Should he be airing old grievances? Helping people? Scaring people away?

The only time he deliberately tried to scare someone away without provocation was the American who seemed to be terrified of ghosts. Matthew couldn't help it – the man's reactions had him giggling for hours. Funnily enough, the Englishman returned when the American made frantic phone calls. Finally, Matthew was alone again after a brief conversation with the Englishman who apparently thought it would be best to leave Matthew alone.

He wasn't alone for long. A new man appeared, this one Asian, though not Chinese. For the first time in centuries, Matthew bothered to learn the man's name, peeking at his mail. Apparently, his name was Kiku Honda. He looked unbearably young yet worldly wise. Matthew liked him instantly: he was quiet, sensible but knew how to have fun. There were no women or men spending hours in his bed nor were there any illegal activities happening.

That meant, however, that Matthew had nothing to do but watch him. It frustrated him for some reason. There was no need to keep an eye on his cooking as he was fully capable of looking after himself. He didn't need to stop a nest of criminals from developing. All in all, Kiku was his most boring companion to date.

So Matthew did what he did best when he was bored: he haunted.

After making his decision, he floated up to find the cute face of a sleeping Kiku. Matthew watched him for a while, finding himself wishing for someone he could curl against, the way Kiku was curled around his body pillow. Temptation wormed his way through his gut and he followed it, pulling the pillow from Kiku's grasp as gently as he could. Carefully, he lay down on the bed beside Kiku and curled in beside him. For some reason, he expected warmth. Instead, he felt nothing. Kiku, meanwhile, must have felt the cold of Matthew's essence for he stirred and Matthew panicked. He rose up and, as quickly as possible, pushed the pillow back beside him. Matthew could almost feel his heart hammering and he had to take deep breaths to calm himself, despite not needing them.

The ensuing days were agony for Matthew as he found himself wishing more and more that he could be seen, could be touched. All he could do was watch Kiku bring home a cat and then a man with cats. He cried that night and it drowned out the noises from the bedroom. Strangely, later that week, Matthew floated into the bedroom to find Kiku crying. He had been surprised and had immediately tried to figure out how he could cheer him up. So he set out a bouquet for him in the kitchen and watched Kiku's reaction the next morning. The man looked surprised and worried, perhaps a little scared, and Matthew became angry at his situation once more.

That was why he didn't think about what would happen when he floated at the top of the stairs, glaring at Kiku as he climbed them to go to his bedroom. Annoyed at the world and at this man who had made him question himself, Matthew decided to scare him. “Boo,” he said, not very loud for he knew he wouldn't be heard.

Somehow, Kiku did and he gasped, backing up. His foot missed the stair behind him, though, and he went toppling down. Matthew could do nothing as the man tumbled backwards, head over heels. He heard a crack and, when Kiku stopped at the bottom of the stairs, he could see that Kiku's neck was at an odd angle.

“Oh, my God,” Matthew whispered as he floated downstairs, his eyes wide.

Before his very eyes, a pearly wisp pushed its way out of Kiku's gaping mouth. Slowly, it wound out until it became an outline of a person. It kept flowing until, finally, a transparent copy of Kiku floated above his head. Kiku blinked and stared around, his eyes unfocussed. Finally, he spotted his body and raised a hand to where his heart should be. Then he looked up and spotted Matthew. He backed off quickly and, because he was floating, he ended up across the grand foyer.

“Oh, gosh,” breathed Matthew. “I am so, so sorry. I didn't mean for you to die. I was only trying to give you a little fright.”

Kiku seemed to be considering this, looking from his body to Matthew. Then he seemed to relax a little. “It worked, then,” he said – and Matthew couldn't resist the urge to beam at the fact that _someone was speaking to him without the aid of a ouija board_. 

“I would have caught you,” Matthew added, his grin falling, “had I been able. I can only move things around when I'm really angry or using all of my willpower. I didn't have the chance to summon it...”

Giving him a small smile, Kiku shook his head a little. “It's fine,” he told Matthew. I invaded your home, I suppose, and I've ignored you. Were you the one who gave me the flowers after Herakles broke up with me?”

“Yes,” Matthew admitted, feeling a ghostly blush. “I thought it would cheer you up but it only scared you. And, as for the ignoring thing, it's okay. Everyone does.”

“I am terribly sorry. As for my reaction... Well, I thought someone had broken in. If I had known it was a cute ghost, I would have been happy.”

“Cute?!” Matthew squeaked, eyes wide.

Kiku flustered for a moment before completely disappearing. At first, Matthew worried that he had moved on. Then he felt a rush of wind pass him and he realised that Kiku was merely hiding. Matthew couldn't help grinning: Kiku was wrong about Matthew being the cute ghost. He was fairly sure Kiku was the cutest ghost he'd ever met.


End file.
